127,000 tents unfit for shelter face a severe cold front

Residents of some 127,000 uninhabitable tents in Gaza Strip camps are facing a severe cold front, the deepest this winter, accompanied by freezing temperatures and a critical shortage of heating and blankets, exceeding 70%.

Ismail al-Thawabta, head of the Government Media Office in Gaza, confirmed that 127,000 out of 135,000 tents are now uninhabitable and are currently being battered by a polar air mass characterized by extreme cold.

He pointed out that displaced people are suffering from a dire shortage of blankets, mattresses, and basic shelter materials, especially families living in dilapidated tents in remote and isolated areas, exacerbating their suffering under the harsh weather conditions.

Earlier, government media announced that the death toll from the extreme cold in displacement camps had risen to 21, including 18 children, since the start of what they termed a “genocide.” They warned of catastrophic consequences from upcoming storms, given the ongoing siege, the destruction of homes and infrastructure, and the displacement of over 1.5 million Palestinians to camps lacking the most basic necessities.

The office held the Israeli occupation fully and directly responsible for these deaths, considering them “an extension of its policies of slow killing, starvation, and displacement.” It called for urgent international action to provide safe shelters and deliver heating and relief supplies.

With the rains having stopped, the Gaza Strip is experiencing a sharp drop in temperatures, particularly at night, exacerbating the suffering of displaced people living in tents ill-equipped for such conditions. Residents report feeling freezing inside their tents, especially those where rain leaks, soaking their clothes and blankets.